An alignment pattern comprises at least a sloped surface which communicates between a top surface of an inter-layer insulator extending over a surface of a substrate and a field oxide film selectively formed over the surface of the substrate and a flat surface of a metal plug, and the flat surface being lower in level than the top surface of the inter-layer insulator. The metal plug is buried within an alignment hole which completely penetrates the insulation layer and at least reaches the field oxide film, so that the alignment hole has a bottom level which is deeper than a bottom level of the inter-layer insulator.
Legal claims defining the scope of protection, as filed with the USPTO.
1. An alignment pattern comprising: at least a sloped surface which communicates between a top surface of an inter-layer insulator extending over a surface of a substrate and a field oxide film selectively formed over said surface of said substrate and a flat surface of a metal plug having the flat surface and an inclined surface, and said flat surface being lower in level than said top surface of said inter-layer insulator, and said metal plug being buried within an alignment hole which completely penetrates said inter-layer insulator and at least reaches said field oxide film, so that said alignment hole has a bottom level which is deeper than a bottom level of said inter-layer insulator.
2. The alignment pattern as claimed in claim 1 , wherein said alignment hole completely penetrates not only said inter-layer insulator but also said field oxide film, so that said bottom level of said alignment hole is deeper than a bottom level of said field oxide film.
3. The alignment pattern as claimed in claim 1 , wherein said alignment hole has an aspect ratio which ensures that said at least sloped surface be remarkable even said at least sloped surface is obtained by a chemical mechanical polishing process for said metal plug.
4. The alignment pattern as claimed in claim 1 , wherein said at least sloped surface has a level-difference of not less than 200 nanometers.
5. The alignment pattern as claimed in claim 1 , wherein said field oxide film comprises an upper half portion above said surface of said substrate and a lower half portion below said surface of said substrate, and said lower half portion is thicker than said upper half portion.
6. The alignment pattern as claimed in claim 1 , wherein a majority part of said field oxide film is buried within said substrate.
7. The alignment pattern as claimed in claim 1 , wherein at least a most part of said field oxide film is buried within said substrate.
8. A semiconductor device including: a substrate; a field oxide film selectively formed over said substrate; an inter-layer insulator extending over a surface of said substrate and said field oxide film; an alignment hole which completely penetrates said inter-layer insulator and at least reaches said field oxide film, so that said alignment hole has a bottom level which is deeper than a bottom level of said inter-layer insulator; and a metal plug buried within said alignment hole, said metal plug having a flat surface lower in level than a top surface of said inter-layer insulator and sloped surfaces serving as an alignment pattern which communicate between said top surface of said inter-layer insulator and said flat surface of said metal plug.
9. The semiconductor device as claimed in claim 8 , wherein said alignment hole completely penetrates not only said inter-layer insulator but also said field oxide film, so that said bottom level of said alignment hole is deeper than a bottom level of said field oxide film.
10. The semiconductor device as claimed in claim 8 , wherein said alignment hole has an aspect ratio which ensures that said at least sloped surface be remarkable even said at least sloped surface is obtained by a chemical mechanical polishing process for said metal plug.
11. The semiconductor device as claimed in claim 8 , wherein said at least sloped surface has a level-difference of not less than 200 nanometers.
12. The semiconductor device as claimed in claim 8 , wherein said field oxide film comprises an upper half portion above said surface of said substrate and a lower half portion below said surface of said substrate, and said lower half portion is thicker than said upper half portion.
13. The alignment pattern as claimed in claim 8 , wherein a majority part of said field oxide film is buried within said substrate.
14. The alignment pattern as claimed in claim 8 , wherein at least a most part of said field oxide film is buried within said substrate.
15. An alignment pattern comprising: sloped surfaces of an interconnection layer extending both over a top surface of an inter-layer insulator and within an alignment hole, and said sloped surfaces being positioned over a periphery of said alignment hole, and said inter-layer insulator extending over a surface of a substrate and a field oxide film selectively formed over said surface of said substrate, and said alignment hole completely penetrating said inter-layer insulator and at least reaches said field oxide film, so that said alignment hole has a bottom level which is deeper than a bottom level of said inter-layer insulator, wherein said interconnection layer directly contacts said substrate within said alignment hole.
16. The alignment pattern as claimed in claim 15 , wherein said alignment hole completely penetrates not only said inter-layer insulator but also said field oxide film, so that said bottom level of said alignment hole is deeper than a bottom level of said field oxide film.
17. The alignment pattern as claimed in claim 15 , wherein said alignment hole has an aspect ratio which ensures that said at least sloped surface be remarkable even said interconnection layer is re-flown.
18. An alignment pattern comprising: sloped surfaces of an interconnection layer extending both over a top surface of an inter-layer insulator and within an alignment hole, and said sloped surfaces being positioned over a periphery of said alignment hole, and said inter-layer insulator extending over a surface of a substrate and a field oxide film selectively formed over said surface of said substrate, and said alignment hole completely penetrating said inter-layer insulator and at least reaches said field oxide film, so that said alignment hole has a bottom level which is deeper than a bottom level of said inter-layer insulator, wherein said field oxide film comprises an upper half portion above said surface of said substrate and a lower half portion below said surface of said substrate, and said lower half portion is thicker than said upper half portion.
19. The alignment pattern as claimed in claim 15 , wherein a majority part of said field oxide film is buried within said substrate.
20. A semiconductor device including: a substrate; a field oxide film selectively formed over said substrate; an inter-layer insulator extending over a surface of said substrate and said field oxide film; an alignment hole which completely penetrates said inter-layer insulator and at least reaches said field oxide film, so that said alignment hole has a bottom level which is deeper than a bottom level of said inter-layer insulator; and an interconnection layer extending both over said top surface of said inter-layer insulator and within said alignment hole, and said interconnection layer having sloped surfaces serving as an alignment pattern positioned over a periphery of said alignment hole, wherein said interconnection layer directly contacts said substrate within said alignment hole.
21. The semiconductor device as claimed in claim 20 , wherein said alignment hole completely penetrates not only said inter-layer insulator but also said field oxide film, so that said bottom level of said alignment hole is deeper than a bottom level of said field oxide film.
22. The semiconductor device as claimed in claim 20 , wherein said alignment hole has an aspect ratio which ensures that said at least sloped surface be remarkable even said interconnection layer is re-flown.
23. A semiconductor device including: a substrate; a field oxide film selectively formed over said substrate; an inter-layer insulator extending over a surface of said substrate and said field oxide film; an alignment hole which completely penetrates said inter-layer insulator and at least reaches said field oxide film, so that said alignment hole has a bottom level which is deeper than a bottom level of said inter-layer insulator; and an interconnection layer extending both over said top surface of said inter-layer insulator and within said alignment hole, and said interconnection layer having sloped surfaces serving as an alignment pattern positioned over a periphery of said alignment hole, wherein said field oxide film comprises an upper half portion above said surface of said substrate and a lower half portion below said surface of said substrate, and said lower half portion is thicker than said upper half portion.
24. The semiconductor device as claimed in claim 20 , wherein a majority part of said field oxide film is buried within said substrate.
25. The alignment pattern of claim 1 , further comprising, a metal layer that is directly on said top surface of said inter-layer insulator, said flat surface of said metal plug, and said sloped surface, and a resist directly on said metal layer, wherein said resist has a opening therein that extends to said metal layer over said metal plug, and wherein said sloped surface extends around a periphery of said opening.
26. The semiconductor device of claim 8 , further comprising, a metal layer that is directly on said top surface of said inter-layer insulator, said flat surface of said metal plug, and said sloped surfaces, and a resist directly on said metal layer, wherein said resist has a opening therein that extends to said metal layer over said metal plug, and wherein said sloped surfaces extend around a periphery of said opening.
27. The alignment pattern of claim 15 , further comprising a resist directly on said interconnection layer, wherein said resist has a opening therein that extends to said interconnection layer over said alignment hole, and wherein said sloped surfaces extend around a periphery of said opening.
28. The semiconductor device of claim 20 , further comprising a resist directly on said interconnection layer, wherein said resist has a opening therein that extends to said interconnection layer over said alignment hole, and wherein said sloped surfaces extend around a periphery of said opening.
Cooperative Patent Classification codes for this invention. Click any code to explore related patents in that topic.
December 2, 2002
July 12, 2005
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